


Second, Third and Fourth Times

by toomanysecrets



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-09
Updated: 2013-04-09
Packaged: 2017-12-07 23:27:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/754347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toomanysecrets/pseuds/toomanysecrets
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>-- <i>You know, eventually you're gonna have to go on a date with me; you can't just keep grabbing me and kissing me.</i><br/>-- <i>I didn't grab you, you grabbed me!</i><br/>-- <i>First time.  Second, third and fourth times, you grabbed me.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Second, Third and Fourth Times

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers through 1.13: Take Out the Trash Day.

II.

Danny really had been doing okay with acting more-or-less normal towards CJ in the couple of days following the State of the Union. He had been careful to needle her during her briefings with his usual irritatingly prescient questions no more and no less than he always had. He had been friendly and a little flirty -- not too friendly and not too flirty -- when they’d passed in the hallway. But yesterday he'd let Steve get the jump on him, following her back to her office hounding her with followup questions, just in case she needed some space. It had been a slow news day anyway.

Today, however, his self-imposed grace period is over, both because he needs to do his job and because spending less time verbally sparring with CJ is pretty much his lowest priority ever. As soon as her office door shuts behind him though, he is continually distracted by thoughts of one hand tangled in her hair and the other unexpectedly tangled with hers, her body relaxing as she kisses him back, her subtle scent that is intriguing from the other side of her desk and heady and intoxicating up close -- very close.

He flips needlessly through his notebook as he repeatedly redirects his thoughts to ask her questions about the latest rider House Republicans are trying to attach to the Hate Crimes Bill, and scribbles down her responses without really processing them. He's concentrating on making it look like he's listening to her and not reliving making out with her right here less than 48 hours ago when her voice winds down and she looks at him expectantly.

"Anything else?"

"Want to have dinner with me tonight?"

Not asking her out would definitely not be normal.

She raises her eyebrows and gives him a pointed look, which he returns when she doesn't answer.

Her eyes slide away from his as she stands up from her perch on the edge of her desk. "I can't."

Then she reaches her hand into the curls at the back of his neck and pulls him into another kiss. It's his turn to relax into her touch as his heart rate rises and his one free hand drifts toward her waist.

Abruptly, she pulls away, tucking an imaginary stray strand of hair behind her ear, opens the door, and cocks her head towards it. "Out!"

Danny shoves his notebook in his pocket and stares at her. "Okay."

He leaves her office trying to surreptitiously wipe off any lipstick that may or may not be smeared in his beard. Well then. Looks like CJ doesn't need some space.

 

III.

CJ is carefully snarky and dismissive when Danny starts showing up in her office for basically no reason. Meanwhile, Carol, Sam and Donna have all commented that she's been in a really good mood lately. Since every time her mind wanders now she remembers the feel of Danny's lips against hers and the sparkle in his blue eyes when he flirts with her, she is forced to admit that she is totally not past this thing.

Honestly she doesn't mind that much since not being past it is pretty fun.

And when the nagging voice in her head points out that the Times' correspondent wouldn't be too happy about the Press Secretary making out with the Senior Correspondent for the Post, she throws herself back into her work and tries to ignore the way her stomach turns over.

It's not like they're dating or anything, or even sleeping together. Just having some harmless fun that no one can know about. If Toby knew, he would yell a lot and threaten to fire her, and Leo might actually fire her.

But Danny's teasing, testing banter makes her feel desired and challenged at the same time, and she hasn't gotten to have any fun, harmless or not, with anyone since before the campaign. So the next time he shows up in her doorway when Carol's away from her desk, she lets herself enjoy the warm, giddy sensation that bubbles up in her chest. When Danny turns to leave, she reaches for him and presses her lips to his. This time they skip the part where he starts to pull away in surprise, and he responds quickly and urgently.

Sometimes the nagging voice in her head points out that if Danny grabbed her and kissed her with no warning, and then justified it by claiming she'd liked it, she’d be pretty pissed at him, even if she did really quite like it. But honestly, she tells the nagging voice, at this point isn’t their every interaction a warning?

When CJ's desire to press herself against him, to feel his hands running over her body, to pull him down on top of her on the couch, and also maybe to let him talk her into letting him take her out for dinner, becomes overwhelming, she pulls away from him and shows him the door.

Because her other options are to either move on beyond harmless, or to actually discuss what exactly it is that they are doing.

 

IV.

Danny’s most productive time is after midnight. Unless there’s something big going on the press room is often deserted late at night and he can focus on his work without being distracted. The West Wing is almost never totally empty though, so it doesn’t surprise him when he hears footsteps in the hallway.

He is surprised when his late-night visitor turns out to be CJ. They've been spending more time together this week, but he's been the one seeking her out.

She's been the one doing the grabbing and kissing though.

Just in case she’d like to do it again right now, he stands up and leans against the edge of his desk, consciously looking relaxed. He knows that whatever it is that’s going on here, it has to be on her terms or not at all. Him initiating the grabbing and kissing is not how it works. What he'd really like to do is convince her to have dinner with him again, and have her admit it's actually a date. He'd like to have a real conversation with her, about something other than work. And yes, if making out in her office is allowed, he'd like to move on to more than making out, somewhere more comfortable than her office. Like his bedroom. Or the sofa in his living room. Or maybe his kitchen table. Or hers, that’d be fine too. Really any place where Carol, Toby, Leo or the President aren’t likely to walk in at any time.

Failing any of that, he'll take another round of grabbing and kissing.

Which is exactly what happens, after five minutes of idle chatter about the education budget, the Hate Crimes Bill, Carol's terrible spelling, who the new correspondent for The Miami Herald might be, and Mrs. Landingham's new cookie recipe. It happens on her way out, and Danny's pretty sure the chatting was just an excuse for her to come visit him. That's what keeps him pursuing this, and her.

She pulls away from him but leaves her hand resting on his chest for just a second. He knows she can feel his heart beating hard and fast, belying his outward calm. He resists the urge to cover her hand with his, to prevent her from snatching hers back and heading out the door with a quiet “Good night, Danny.” Her limits, her terms.

After she’s gone, he makes his way back to his desk. His arousal fades along with the sound of her heels clicking down the hallway, but his smile doesn’t. Only his eyes, staring at the half-written column on his laptop screen, are the slightest bit sad.

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be really short and a quick break from the longer thing I am working on, but apparently I don't do short. Maybe someday I will write the short version that this was supposed to be.


End file.
